1961 C.D. Hamilton Store

The above article/advertisement in the 1961 125th special edition paper gives a lot of information in just a few paragraphs.  Does anyone remember Mrs. Vivian Titmus, or Mrs. Frances Bookham and Mrs. Ella Roche?  If so, would love to have you leave a comment, which by the way is very easy.  You can either leave an anonymous comment or you can create a blog name and password to leave your comment.

Looking at the picture above, it is hard to tell if the sidewalk they are standing on is cement or plank wood, but during this early era of 1900, cement sidewalks were the "next best thing to slice bread" -- which really didn't happen until 1928.  But one article I found in late 1904 reported:

The new strip of cement walk on the east side of Grand Avenue is one of the most noticeable improvements made in this village in some time.

Another article found in The Fowlerville Review in 1904 discussed the quality of cement as follows:

A vast amount of the beautiful and supposedly durable cement sidewalk has been constructed in Michigan within the past three years and heretofore it has been thought to be well-nigh indestructible.  Now comes a note of warning from a close observer who says that in various sections these walks are being honeycombed and ruined by theh work of ants which delight to build their nests in the sand and gravel forming the foundations of the cement walks.

Also, back to C.D., I found the following profile published in the newspaper in 1905:

Claude D. Hamilton was born in this village July 8, 1873, and is decidedly a home product.  When but a boy, he commenced clerking in the store nights and mornings, and kept at it until he passed through the tenth grade, when he accepted a steady position with F.G. Palmerton & Co., and with the exceptions of a few weeks, remained with that firm until the fire of 1891, when, in company with G.A. Newman and C.F. Elliott, they purchased the stock of F.G. Palmerton & Co. and continued the business until the death of Mr. Elliott, when the remaining partners purchased the interest of the estate of Mr. Elliott and continued the business under the firm name of Newman & Hamilton until June, 1903, when he sold his interest to Mr. Newman and after a few weeks rest, purchased a new stock of dry goods, carpets and gents furnishings and opened the store where he is now located.

In October 1898, he married Miss Ethel Gardner, and a little later erected the pleasant home he now occupies.

He has served the village as councilman for two terms and is now serving his second term as township clerk.

1961 Fowlerville Co-Op

The last item on page 5 of the special edition paper published by The Fowlerville Review for the 125th celebration in 1961 was an article and picture showing the beginnings of the Fowlerville Co-Op, when it was the Rounsville elevator.  The building still stands on the west side of South Grand Avenue, south side of the tracks. 

Does anyone remember Floyd Stewart, the manager?

1961 Palmerton Block Article for 1877

The following article is a wealth of information regarding the Palmerton Block.  In 1876, the wooden structure that stood at this corner burned down and the first of two brick structures was completed (the second building was built in 1892 after a devastating fire in 1891):

L.S. Palmerton, as mentioned in the above article on prices, is shown in the picture below with a group of men in front of L.S.'s lunchroom:

Personally, I think the dog posing with them is quite adorable!



1961 Advertisements

Three congratulatory advertisements can be found on the 1961 special edition of The Fowlerville Review for the 125th anniversary celebration.  I believe Robb's Insurance was located at the northeast corner of North Second Street and East Grand River Avenue, now an empty lot with the John Gilully rock.  The D. & C. store was located where Game Links is now.  And, finally, two doctors that some may still remember gave their best wishes.

More tomorrow from the special edition.

1961 Spagnuolos

I am hoping this article that was printed in the 125th celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review will elicit some comments:

This is another iconic name in Fowlerville so if you type in "Spagnuolo" in the search box, there will be numerous articles for your to peruse.

1961 Duane Mosher

The business shown above was located in the building between Aleta's Flower Shoppe and Duke's Pizza on South Grand Avenue across from Curtis Grocery.  At the moment, that building is empty, but in 1961 it was the place to go for home improvement.

Any of my readers remember this company?

1961 Lepard Chevrolet Sales

Cecil Lepard Chevrolet sales started out at the northwest corner of East Grand River and North Second Street, the red brick building that used to house Maria's School of Dance.  Eventually the car dealership moved to West Grand River, growing in sales and size.  The following history was printed in the 1961 special edition for the 125th celebration:

1961 Fire Department History

A very long and informative article on the history of the fire department was published in the special edition of The Fowlerville Review for the 125th celebration. 



1961 Trivia Article

On page four of the special edition, this very short article can be found.

I googled some images and found pictures of the two sewing machines mentioned.  Following is a picture of a Wilson sewing machine:

And a New Domestic:

1961 Advertisements for Celebration

As we continue to look through the special edition of The Fowlerville Review for the 125th celebration, page four provided a couple of congratulatory ads -- Farm Bureau and the Home Tavern.

I am wondering if anyone remembers where Gale Hosington was located.  Also, I believe the Home Tavern was where Lucky's Pub used to be -- is that correct?  If not, please feel free to comment.

1961 Tomion's Dairy Store

Tomion's was located in the southeast quadrant, facing East Grand River, where you will now find Pimar Jewelry.  In 1961, with the 125th celebration in full swing, the following advertisement was published in the special edition of The Fowlerville Review:

If you head up to the upper righthand portion of the website, you will see a search box.  If you type in "Tomion," a large number of articles will be shown for your reading pleasure.  Some of the information you will find was provided to us by members of the Tomion family, which included some memoriabilia for last year's museum and also a number of pictures.

1961 Pioneer Sketch Information

Ralph Fowler passed away in 1887.  A few years earlier, he wrote a Pioneer Sketch that was published in The Fowlerville Review.  In 1961, some of the information found in that sketch was republished in this special edition of the paper for the 125th celebration.  There is some wonderful information here, but if you are interested in reading more, head to the page labeled "Pioneer Sketch" located just under the header for this website.

1961 Livingston County Lumber

In 1961, Livingston County Lumber Company was located on Fowlerville Road, almost all the way south to the Howell/Mason Road.  They were located in the former location of the Family Impact Center (they have now moved north of town to the old administration building).

This advertisement was in the 125th Celebration special edition of The Fowlerville Review in 1961.  I would love if anyone would leave a comment if they remember this lumber company.

1961 Peter Iskra

In 1961, Peter Iskra was located where you will now find Lansing Opthamology, in the east portion of the G.A. Newman building (next door to Shear Image).  Along the way, I have received information that Mr. Iskra had quite a sense of humor and made a number of people happy to be his friend.

I would love to hear of anyone's memories of Mr. Iskra -- feel free to leave a comment!

Channel for ALS - "Lou Gehrig's Disease"

I recently had the pleasure of working up a special embroidery project for six ladies from Ann Arbor who are going to attempt to swim the English Channel -- there and back again -- for a good cause, all the while trying to break the previous record of over 18 hours.  They are taking with them red jackets and light blue sweatshirts with a ton of embroidery on them, and it makes me feel humble that I'm a part of, if only through the luck of having the opportunity to do the embroidery (which, by the way, is my day job).  Following is what the back of the blue shirts looks like:

As you can see, Michigan Rehabilitation Specialists is one of their biggest sponsors -- many of you may know Scott and Ashley Weaver.  They are the owners of the Fowlerville facilities -- one of over a dozen MRS clinics in the state.

I have known and know someone with this devastating disease and, if these ladies can raise awareness along with some funds for research, they get my support!  If you would like to read more on their adventure, click here for the website.  What an amazing endeavor!  Good luck ladies!

1961 Best Wishes

As we continue going through the newspaper that was published for the 1961 125th celebration, page three contained congratulations from Glenn's Standard Service (at the northwest corner of East Grand River and South Second Street), Grill's Mobil Station (which I understand was farther east on East Grand River), and from Stirling Douglass, a real estate and insurance agent in the village.

 

I don't really have pictures of Grill's or Douglass' business but following is one of the iconic pictures of the Standard service station where there is now a parking lot for Chase Bank:



1961 Klein Fertilizers

On page two of the Special Edition of The Fowlerville Review in 1961 for the 125th Celebration, Klein Fertilizers had a half-page spread of pictures and an explanation of their company. 

Clayton Klein is now in his 90s.  In the past few years, he has become well-known for his miles and miles of hoofing it -- solo -- from Paradise to Hell, Michigan.  A couple of years ago, I attended an author talk at the library by him for his last book, A Well-Kept Secret, of his wife's girlhood friendships with Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer.  Clayton is a very interesting and wealth-of-information long-time resident of Fowlerville, and so very interesting to talk with.  

1961 Tonica Tavern Article

This is just an awesome and very informative article.  The next time you head east on Grand River from the main four corners, going one block, look at the southeast corner of East Grand River and South Second Street.  In 1842, it was a wide-open field of 160 acres, belonging to the estate of John B. Fowler.  Mary and Ralph Fowler inherited it and eventually it was subdivided for homes.

But, at the very corner, in the late 1800s, the Tonica Tavern stood.  In the following article, you can read how the land has changed hands and who had businesses at this corner.  Currently, the smallest building at the corner serves as a law office.  

Two congratulatory ads were on the same page as the Tonica Tavern in the 125th Special Edition -- one promoting the airfield where the first few Dawn Patrols were held, the second from the owners of the Elm's Restaurant.  The Elm's was located at about where Lucky's Pub has been.

1961 Railroad Information

As we continue looking at the 125th Special Edition of The Fowlerville Review, published in 1961, the following article was writen regarding the railroad tracks that were built through the village. 

The railroad was completed and use began sometime around 1871-72.  It was a major turning point for the growth of the village.  Farmers were now able to get their produce to larger markets, the stave companies flourished with the ability to ship their stave and shook kits to the east coast and then overseas where they were constructed and filled with tea and spices, and products could more easily be shipped to the village.  It was just the boon needed to help Fowlerville.     

At some point, G.L. Adams, editor and publisher of The Fowlerville Review from 1874-1929, began having his newspaper shipped out by rail for distribution to those living outside the village.  Mail delivery came to town by rail also -- often prompting G.L. to write about in the newspaper; especially when the bag of mail would be thrown from a passing train.  More often than not, the bag would break open and mail would scatter.

1961 Celebration Program

Okay, so the 125th celebration may have been 50 years ago, but are there any of my wonderful readers that might have been there -- that remember this village-wide party like it was yesterday?  I would love to hear from you through e-mail or have you post a comment. 

As I look through the names listed below for the Sunday program, many are very familiar to me after doing as much research as I have.

~~Mary Finlan was half of the duo (with her sister) that composed "Purple and Gold" as the school song.

~~Erwin Haire was the owner of Haire Appliances in the village.

~~Riby Holmes was a school teacher as well as partnering with Ken Tannar in the grain elevator business.

~~Frank Curtis had the grocery store in town.

~~Charles Hills was the band directory.

If you search on nearly any name in this program, you will find articles and pictures.

1961 How Fowlerville Was Named

As I continue to post the front page articles of a special edition paper that was printed by The Fowlerville Review for the 125th celebration in Fowlerville in 1961, these two articles offer a ton of information to anyone interested in the history of this village. 

The longer article explains the many contributions Ralph Fowler gave to this community in the hopes of settling and growing the area.  It, no doubt, was a natural progression to name the settlement after him when it was incorporated in 1851.

The smaller article, "Cornet Band Honored at Reason House," is hard to read so following is that article:

In September of 1876, a Band Benefit was held at the Reason House.  No pains had been spared by the ladies in preparing the dinner in appreciation of the band on all occasions.  Mr. J.C. Ellsworth, G.L. Adams and J.B. Turner offered a flowery set of resolution in appreciation.  The food included chicken pie, cold meats, hot pork and beans, two huge cakes, decorated -- "Coronet Band and Fowlerville Coronet Band" -- and were made by the local bakery inscribed, "A Tune for the Baking."

The three names mentioned in this article are names I have become well-acquainted with while doing research.

J.C. Ellsworth was a pioneer banker in the village.

J.B. Turner was an early merchant and soon became a judge in the county.

G.L. Adams -- whom I know the best -- helped to start The Fowlerville Review in 1874, only two years earlier.  The biography I have published, Through the Eyes of a Country Editor, is such a comprehensive look at his life and writings and I so very much enjoyed putting it together.  To the point, I wish I could have met this dynamic yet humble man.  

1961 Suzette Eggleston

In 1961, The Fowlerville Review published a special edition for the 125th celebration of the arrival of Ralph Fowler to the area.  Over the last two days, the article answering the question of why a celebration was answered. 

As I continue to catalog this edition, following is a picture of Suzette Eggleston as she posed for a picture of how she would appear in the anniversary parade.

Over the next couple of days, the remaining information shown on the front cover of this special edition will be shown.

1961 125th Celebration - Why Part 2

Following concludes the article of why a celebration in 1961, recognizing the arrival of Ralph Fowler in 1836 to the area.  If you check back to yesterday's post, you will see the first part of the article that was published in a special edition of The Fowlerville Review.

1961 125th Celebration

A year ago, the centennial committee, many merchants and churches, the fairgrounds, and I were busy with the 175th celebration of the arrival of Ralph Fowler to the area.  It was a busy, fun, and very hot and humid time but -- as I look back a year ago -- great fun.  There were events at the Centennial and Community parks, a stirring parade, and wonderful fireworks; all combined with people wandering around.  A very sociable event.

Now a year later, I was loaned a special edition copy of a well-preserved paper that was published in 1961, for the 125th celebration.  When I first started working on The Fowlerville Chronicles, I found a copy of this paper and gleaned quite a bit of information from it.  Now, a couple years later, as I looked through this paper, I was amazed at all of the great information to be found. 

Because of that, over the next couple of weeks, I will be showing articles from that paper.  Enjoy the articles, advertisements, trivia, and anything extra I might add.

Following begins an article that will run over the next two days:

The conclusion of this article will be shown tomorrow.

Although this article is not credited to anyone in particular, it was probably written by Nellie Glenn, with much of the information obtained from an 1880 history of the county.  Nellie Glenn's writings are preserved in the historical collection and shows the great interest she had in making sure Fowlerville's history was not lost.  As a matter of fact, shortly before her death in the late 1970s, she was honored by the state legislature for her work.

2012 Fireworks

I've never tried to take pictures of fireworks and, as it turns out, is really quite difficult to do.  Following are the best of the lot that I took; the first two at the start of the celebration, the next two sometime in the middle, and the last three are part of the finale. 

We had a video camera with us and shot the finale -- if you head to the "Video" page, you can click on a link.  I uploaded the video to YouTube.  

And now, one final picture of Fowlerville's Fourth of July celebration.  As we waited for the evening to get to full dark and have the fireworks begin, my husband and I set up chairs, a light dinner, and figured out some good conversation, all next to one of the lagoons at the wastewater plant.  We watched (and listened to) big green frogs, saw a muskrat doing both back strokes and front crawl in the water, and kept track of the clouds that eventually disappeared, leaving a starry night.

One final note -- I would like to thank my friend that made it happen that we were able to watch the fireworks very close up and personal.  It was a treat I won't forget for a very long time.